


We'll never be afraid again

by DreamingOfABetterYou



Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan)
Genre: Alternate Universe, But John is a bit oblivious to how established they are, Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, Listen I just wanted them to cuddle and smooch alright don't at me, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23343649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingOfABetterYou/pseuds/DreamingOfABetterYou
Summary: Just because your boyfriend is a 220 pound beast of a man doesn't mean you don't get to be soft with him, goddamnit.
Relationships: Bane (DCU)/John Blake
Comments: 17
Kudos: 184





	We'll never be afraid again

**Author's Note:**

> Listen. Is this in character with how they are in the movie?  
> Absolutely not.  
> Do I care?  
> Heck no.  
> I just wanted them adorable and sweet and for John to take care of Bane alright? Cool.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Love, Liz xx
> 
> PS: The title is from Florence and the Machine's "Spectrum".

“Hey.”

Bane startles like an animal from the woods, instantly hunching his shoulders forward so he’s protectively curling over his food. John would chuckle at the absurd display, the idea that John would be able to take away something of Bane’s, but he remembers a hushed conversation in the dark, how Bane had told him about growing up bony and angular. Too many boys and too little food. John had had his head on Bane’s massive pec, stroking over the soft skin protecting his ribcage, and tried to imagine a much younger version of Bane which was nowhere near as strong as he is now. Maybe not even strong enough to protect himself. Bane still avoids talking about some of his scars; now, slowly, John begins to understand why. It breaks his fucking heart.

He runs a gentle hand over Bane’s huge trap and shoulder, feels the man relax under his touch. “I didn’t mean to surprise you, sorry.”

“It’s fine. I was…somewhere else, for a moment” Bane says quietly. As huge as he is, his voice never crowds the room like you would expect it to. When Bane turns his head to meet John’s eyes, John can’t help but smile fondly.

“You’ve got a little something right there” he says, smudging a thumb over a dab of what looks like pesto right next to the corner of Bane’s mouth, where the scar tissue is still gnarly and angry-looking. It’s been years, almost two decades, living with the numbness, but Bane’s twisted lip still pulls into an apologetic smile as he ducks his head playfully. It makes him look almost boyish, just a bit of mischief behind innocence.

“I didn’t notice.”

John smiles as he wipes off his finger on a napkin next to the plate – Bane is one of the neatest people he knows – but inside, his heart clenches. Still, he returns to that same spot, cupping Bane’s jaw with his slender hand.

“Can you feel this?” he murmurs, caressing Bane’s mouth and cheek with his thumb. When their eyes meet again, John can only just hold himself back from kissing Bane forcefully out of respect for his answer. Bane smiles wistfully, turning his head further into the touch and nuzzling against John’s palm.

“I almost can when it’s you.”

John’s heart stops for a moment and then continues twice as fast as it did before. He knows it’s only a phrase, only pretty words, but coming from Bane, this huge and gentle fortress of a man, who is always so damn _sincere_ in the way he speaks…There’s only one logical response.

“I love you. God, I really do” he blurts, and if he were a cartoon character he would clap his hand in front of his mouth, pluck the uttered words out of the air and stuff them back between his lips. But he isn’t, so he’s only met with Bane’s suddenly wide eyes and a beat of silence. John swallows heavily and looks anywhere but at the man across from him. They haven’t even talked about what they really are, if Bane sees this as more than fucking and talking and sharing meals and having keys to each other’s places for convenience.

It seems obvious, but John has been burned before, so he’s careful to just assume exclusivity. At the same time sleeping around doesn’t seem like Bane. There would be more than enough applicants for the position of ‘anywhere in the vicinity of his bed or anywhere else he’d want me, really’, John is sure of it, but even if Bane is sometimes more secretive and closed-off than John would like, he is always painstakingly honest. But still, the silence weighs him down, it drags on his shoulders, right until he dares to look back at Bane’s face.

His eyes are wet with unshed tears.

“No, no don’t cry. What did I do wrong? It was too early, wasn’t it? We can…pretend I didn’t say it, if that’s what you want.” The moment he forms the words in his head, his heart is already ripping apart, but he will fight tooth and nail to be allowed to keep this – keep _him_ – for as long as he can. Bane shakes his head, apparently overwhelmed, and catches John’s hand in his own before he can pull it back fully. Slowly, deliberately, he presses a kiss to the palm before he gently returns it to its former position on his face.

John doesn’t know who leans in first, but their lips meet and yup, that was definitely pesto, he can taste it on Bane’s hesitant tongue, and it should be disgusting, and it is a bit, but John wouldn’t want this to stop any sooner than it absolutely needs to. He doesn’t flinch at the startling feel of scarred lips against his own anymore, it’s gotten too familiar. Similarly, when the edge of his tongue swipes the inside of Bane’s cheek where a hunting knife once pierced right through the flesh into the roof of his mouth, the only thing he thinks of is how carefully Bane is holding him in his massive arms.

They break apart panting, John somehow completely in Bane’s lap, their foreheads pressed together since they can’t bear to be parted any more than necessary just now. Bane draws in a rasping breath before he speaks.

“I love you too, John. I have for a while now.”

“Oh thank God.” They both laugh at John’s exclamation, ending in a soft, slightly awkward chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. When they both quiet down, Bane starts to shift nervously at the intensity of John’s gaze. “Do I still have something on my face?” He starts scrubbing a hand around his mouth, trying to catch stray dollops of sauce, but John catches his hand and stills it in his soft grip.

“You’re clean, don’t worry. I just like looking at you.” Bane instantly flushes up to the roots of his non-existent hair. As much as he accepts and honestly enjoys John’s borderline obsession with his body and his strength, his face can be a sensitive subject at times. There are days where he won’t even allow a fleeting caress over a cheekbone, a kiss on the shell of his torn ear, and other days where he will let John do whatever he desires, will even let him follow the lines of his scars with kisses and lovingly tracing fingertips.

He’s not deeply unhappy with the way life has shaped his face; not most of the time, at least. But sometimes he will catch a glimpse in a storefront window of him walking next to John, next to this beautifully frail yet strong man, and he will wonder for days why John would ever want to even lay a hand on him. They have spoken about Bane’s insecurities, just a bit, because it upsets both of them and it rarely ends without one of them – mostly Bane – leaving in a huff.

“Why?” Bane asks carefully, a deep frown starting to develop between his brows and swiping up towards his forehead, like he's afraid of the answer. His eyes are wide and… _vulnerable_ , John realises. With a wry smile, he smooths a gentle thumb over Bane’s uneven cheekbone, cradling the side of his head again.

“Because you’re mine” he tries quietly, not yet used to how the words taste in his mouth, and how Bane will react to them.

“Yours” Bane echoes wondrously. “Does that mean…that you’re mine too?”

John smirks at the interested spark in Bane’s eyes. “It does” he promises, nudging their noses together. “You can keep me as long as you want to.”

“That’ll be a while” Bane warns gently, big hands safely closing around John’s waist and pulling him flush against his broad chest.

John hums, and settles against him. “Good.”


End file.
